A sense amplifier is provided which includes a first load supplied with a selection cell current from a read bit line connected to a selected memory cell; a second load supplied with a reference current from a reference read bit line connected to a reference cell, a resistance value of the second load being different from a resistance value of the first load; and a sensing unit configured to correct a level of the reference current based on a resistance ratio of the first and second loads and to compare the selection cell current and the corrected reference current.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A sense amplifier comprising: a first load supplied with a first cell current from a first read bit line connected to a first memory cell array; a second load supplied with a second cell current from a second read bit line connected to a second memory cell array; and a sensing unit configured to correct a level of the second cell current based on a resistance ratio of the first and second loads and to compare the first cell current and the corrected second cell current, wherein resistance values of the first and second loads are varied in response to a control signal, and wherein the second load comprises a plurality of transistors, channels of the plurality of transistors being connected between an operation voltage source and the second read bit line.
A sense amplifier is designed with two loads: a "main" load and a "reference" load. The main load receives current from a first memory cell array (via a first bit line), and the reference load receives current from a second memory cell array (via a second bit line). A sensing unit corrects the reference current based on the resistance ratio between the main and reference loads, then compares the main and corrected reference currents to determine the stored data. Crucially, the resistance values of both loads are variable, adjusted by a control signal. The reference load consists of multiple transistors connected between a voltage source and the second bit line.
2. The sense amplifier of claim 1 , wherein the first and second loads comprise MOS transistors.
The sense amplifier described previously, which has adjustable main and reference loads whose resistance values vary in response to a control signal, and where a sensing unit corrects the reference current based on the resistance ratio between the main and reference loads, and compares the corrected currents, utilizes MOS transistors for both the main and reference loads.
3. The sense amplifier of claim 2 , wherein the first load comprises first and second transistors, channels of the first and second transistors being connected between the operation voltage source and the first read bit line, and wherein the first transistor is turned on in response to the control signal.
In the sense amplifier described previously, where the amplifier has adjustable main and reference loads, and where the loads utilize MOS transistors, the main load consists of two transistors connected in series between a voltage source and the main bit line. The first of these two transistors is enabled or disabled by the control signal.
4. The sense amplifier of claim 3 , wherein the second load comprises third and fourth transistors, channels of the third and fourth transistors being connected between the operation voltage source and the second read bit line, and wherein the fourth transistor is turned off in response to the control signal.
Expanding on the previous sense amplifier, where the amplifier has adjustable main and reference loads, utilizes MOS transistors, and the main load consists of two transistors (one controlled by a control signal), the reference load also consists of two transistors connected in series between the voltage source and the reference bit line. However, unlike the main load, one of the reference load transistors is *turned off* in response to the control signal.
5. A semiconductor memory device comprising: a first memory cell array comprising a first main cell area and a first reference cell area sharing a first word line with the first main cell area; a second memory cell array comprising a second main cell area and a second reference cell area sharing a second word line with the second main cell area; a sense amplifier connected to the first memory cell array via a first bit line to be supplied with a first cell current, connected to the second memory cell array via a second bit line to be supplied with a second cell current, and configured to sense data stored in the first and second main cell areas using the second and first reference cell areas, respectively; and a selector configured to provide the sense amplifier with a control signal indicating a location of a selected memory cell, wherein the sense amplifier is further configured to correct levels of the first and second cell currents in response to the control signal, to compare the corrected first and second cell currents, and to sense the data stored in the first and second main cell areas based on the compared result.
A semiconductor memory device comprises two memory cell arrays. Each array has a main cell area and a reference cell area which share a word line. A sense amplifier, connected to both arrays via bit lines, reads data from the main cell areas, using the reference cell areas for comparison. The sense amplifier adjusts current levels from both arrays based on a control signal indicating the location of the selected memory cell. The adjusted currents are then compared to sense the stored data. A selector provides the control signal to the sense amplifier.
6. The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 , wherein when a memory cell of the first memory cell array is selected, the sense amplifier is connected to the first main cell area and the second reference cell area to sense the data stored in the first main cell area using the second reference cell area.
In the semiconductor memory device described previously, when a memory cell in the first memory cell array is selected, the sense amplifier connects to the first main cell area and the second reference cell area. In this configuration, the sense amplifier reads the data stored in the first main cell area, using the second reference cell area as a reference.
7. The semiconductor memory device of claim 6 , wherein the second reference cell area comprises first and second reference cells sharing the second bit line, wherein the first reference cell is programmed to a first program state for storing a first bit value, and wherein the second reference cell is programmed to a second program state for storing a second bit value.
Building on the previous semiconductor memory device description, where the sense amplifier uses the second reference cell area as a reference when reading the first main cell area, the second reference cell area contains two reference cells sharing the same bit line. The first reference cell is programmed to store a first bit value and the second reference cell is programmed to store a second, different bit value.
8. The semiconductor memory device of claim 7 , wherein the first bit value corresponds to data ‘1’ and the second bit value corresponds to data ‘0’.
Further detailing the semiconductor memory device where the reference cell area contains two reference cells programmed to different bit values, the first reference cell stores a bit value of ‘1’, and the second reference cell stores a bit value of ‘0’.
9. The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 , wherein the first and second reference cell areas are set in response to a signal provided from an external device.
In the semiconductor memory device described previously, where the sense amplifier uses reference cell areas, the settings of the first and second reference cell areas are configurable based on a signal received from an external device.
10. The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 , wherein locations of the first and second reference cell areas are fixed within the first and second memory cell arrays, respectively.
In the semiconductor memory device described previously, where the sense amplifier uses reference cell areas, the positions of the first and second reference cell areas are permanently fixed within their respective memory cell arrays.
11. The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 , wherein the selector is further configured to generate the control signal in response to an address signal provided from an external device.
Expanding on the semiconductor memory device described previously, where a selector provides a control signal to the sense amplifier, the selector generates the control signal based on an address signal received from an external device.
12. The semiconductor memory device of claim 11 , further comprising: a row decoder configured to decode a row address provided from the external device, wherein the selector is further configured to generate the control signal based on the row address.
The semiconductor memory device from the previous description, where a selector generates the control signal based on an address from an external device, also includes a row decoder. This row decoder decodes the row address provided by the external device, and the selector uses the decoded row address to generate the control signal.
13. The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 , wherein the first and second memory cell arrays comprise a plurality of memory cells each having a gain cell structure.
In the previously described semiconductor memory device, which uses two memory cell arrays, each of the memory cells within these arrays have a gain cell structure.
14. An unbalanced sense amplifier comprising: a load unit comprising a main load connected to a read bit line, and a reference load connected to a reference read bit line, the main load and the reference load being unbalanced; and a sensing unit configured to sense a first voltage drop across the main load and a second voltage drop across the reference load, and to amplify a voltage difference between the first and second voltage drops, wherein the sensing unit adjusts a resistance value of the main load, and a resistance value of the reference load in response to a control signal, the adjustment performed in accordance with a weighting.
An "unbalanced" sense amplifier uses a main load and reference load with unequal resistance values. The main load connects to a read bit line, while the reference load connects to a reference read bit line. A sensing unit measures the voltage drop across each load and amplifies the difference. The amplifier adjusts the resistance of both loads using a control signal and a weighting mechanism.
15. The unbalanced sense amplifier of claim 14 , wherein the main load comprises a load transistor, and the reference load comprises two reference load transistors.
The unbalanced sense amplifier, which has unequal main and reference loads, and a sensing unit which adjusts the load resistances via a control signal, uses a single transistor for the main load. In contrast, the reference load uses *two* transistors.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 19, 2016
June 6, 2017
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.